Michigan sues Big Oil

Posted on by farlane
Mercedes Benz C350 Plug-In Hybrid by Rich

Mercedes Benz C350 Plug-In Hybrid by Rich

The Guardian shares that in a first of its kind complaint, the State of Michigan has filed a complaint accusing big oil of being ‘cartel’ that fuels climate crisis and high energy costs:

…the state’s attorney general, Dana Nessel, accused four fossil fuel majors and the top US oil lobbying group last month of acting as a “cartel” to stifle the growth of renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs), while suppressing information about the dangers of the climate crisis. The conduct, the lawsuit alleged, violates federal and state antitrust laws.

The companies’ “collusion” drove up Michigan utility costs and slowed the transition away from gas-powered cars, according to the filing. Absent the industry’s efforts to repress clean technology, EVs “would be a common sight in every neighborhood – rolling off assembly lines in Flint, parked in driveways in Dearborn, charging outside grocery stores in Grand Rapids, and running quietly down Woodward Avenue”, it said.

Electricity costs in Michigan have surged, with average residential rates increasing by nearly 120% in the last two decades. And though electric car adoption is increasing, EVs and hybrids accounted for less than 4% of total registered vehicles statewide last year.

Rich took this photo at the North American International Auto Show way back in 2015. It won Best Photo in their 2015 Photo Contest & you can see more below and in his Detroit 2015 NAIAS gallery on Flickr.

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Get ready for the 2026 Detroit Auto Show!

Posted on by farlane
Detroit Auto Show by Montez Miller / Tell Us Detroit

Detroit Auto Show by Montez Miller / Tell Us Detroit

The annual Detroit Auto Show kicks off today at Huntington Place in Downtown Detroit. This annual celebration of automotive design & car culture runs January 14-25, 2026 & features new models, test tracks, and all kinds of auto related fun.

Montez Miller of Tell Us Detroit was there for an early look with Autot Show officials and new Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield. You can follow Tell Us Detroit’s coverage on Facebook, click to check out her video with some photo highlights of the preview, also also see highlights in the Detroit Auto Show’s hype video featuring GMac Cash. It’s really a great experience for car lovers!

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2015 North American International Auto Show

Posted on by farlane

Infiniti Q30 Concept Car

Infiniti Q30 Concept Car, photo by Rich

The 2015 North American International Auto Show starts this Saturday (Jan 17) and runs through next Sunday (Jan 25). Held at the Cobo Center in downtown Detroit, it remains the premier show for car enthusiasts. For a sneak peek, have a look at CNN’s highlights which appear to be split between “muscular” and “efficient” (unsurprising spoiler: muscular wins 70/30).

If you do attend, consider going on their photo day (Jan 20) for early access. In any case, if you are packing a camera  you might want to enter their 2015 Photo Contest which offers five different prizes of $200 each.

View Rich’s photo from last year’s show background big and see more in his Detroit – 2014 NAIAS slideshow.

More about NAIAS/Detroit Auto Show on Michigan in Pictures.

Here comes the 2014 Detroit Auto Show

Posted on by farlane

2013 North American International Auto Show-Detroit, MI-Hot Wheels-Camaro

2013 North American International Auto Show – Hot Wheels Camaro, photo by memories_by_mike

The 2014 North American International Auto Show takes place January 13-26th in downtown Detroit (consumer show Jan 18-26) and features the new models and a whole lot of sizzle and creativity as manufacturers seek to make the biggest splash. The NAIAS site includes Detroit Auto Show history page that takes you all the way back to the first Detroit Auto Show in 1907!

The first Detroit Area Dealer Association (DADA)-managed Detroit Auto Show was held in December 1907, at Riverview Park after the formation of the DADA in the same year. Since then, the show has grown from a regional event with 17 exhibitors to a world-class showcase featuring more than 60 exhibitors.

As the years passed, the show became increasingly popular as the demand and interest for automobiles grew. The show grew and moved to several new locations, including the Light Guard Armory on Eight Mile, the Wayne Gardens Pavilion and the Michigan State Fairgrounds.

Check Mike’s Photo out background big and see more in his 2013 North American International Auto Show-Detroit, MI slideshow.

More Detroit Auto Show and more cars on Michigan in Pictures.

Yesterday to tomorrow with Michigan automobiles

Posted on by farlane

Low-Rider...

Low-Rider…, photo by Kenneth (Off/On)

Two interesting auto-related tidbits came across my desk in the last couple of days.

The first is from Deadline Detroit, and shows an excerpt from a 1917 newsreel with a Detroit Police Department driver-safety campaign trying to persuade drivers to slow down.

Fast forward to today and beyond with Michigan Senate approval of self-driving vehicle testing on Michigan roads. The Detroit News reports that (pending House approval):

Under the Michigan rules, a driver would be required to be in the driver’s seat at all times during testing to take over in the case of emergency. Manufacturers and suppliers would use an “M” license plate for automated vehicle testing. “Upfitters” of automated vehicles, such as Google, would be permitted to test vehicles along with manufacturers.

The action comes as the U.S. Congress is set to hold a hearing Tuesday on autonomous vehicles amid growing interest among automakers. They will hear from General Motors Co. and Nissan Motor Co. executives along with the Michigan Department of Transportation.

…The University of Michigan says that by 2021, Ann Arbor could become the first U.S. city with a shared fleet of networked, driverless vehicles. That’s the goal of the Mobility Transformation Center, a cross-campus U-M initiative that also involves government and industry representatives. Ann Arbor has been home to a 15-month-long ongoing study of 3,000 vehicles that are linked to one another in a test of technology to see if connected cars can help each other avoid crashes.

I love it when the perfect photo shows up at the perfect time! Kenneth took this HDR shot in Mustang Alley at the Woodward Dream Cruise. See it bigger and check out more in his HDR slideshow.

More automotive features on Michigan in Pictures.

NAIAS: 2013 Detroit Auto Show roars into town

Posted on by farlane

LFA

LFA by JSFauxtaugraphy, photo by JSFauxtaugraphy

Snapshots from the 2013 North American International Auto Show aka NAIAS 2013 aka the Detroit Auto Show started yesterday for media & industry. The public show runs Saturday, January 19 through Saturday, January 26. Here are a few quick hits:

Check this out background bigtacular and see more in Joseph’s NAIAS 2012 slideshow.

More NAIAS on Michigan in Pictures.

North American International Auto Show: Yesterday and Today

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures
Traffic at the 1960 Auto Show by Hugo90

 Traffic at the 1960 Auto Show by Hugo90

“You know what? We’re going to prove one thing. That this is the Motor City, the motor capital of the world. And we’re going to bring it back, in the esteem of the world, to where it should be.”
~Ken Meade, International Auto Show, 1989

It’s time again for the North American International Auto Show aka the Detroit Auto Show. The world’s premier celebration of cars and car culture has lost some of its luster but is still an amazing event.

The NAIAS runs from January 15-25 at the Cobo Center in Detroit and you can get all the details including photos and video at 2011 Detroit Auto Show on Absolute Michigan. An article we link to from the Detroit News is the source of the quotation above and says that 1960 was the first year at Cobo Hall.

Check this out bigger and in Hugo’s THE OTHER CAR PICTURES slideshow.

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(re) Enter the Delorean: 2010 Detroit Auto Show

Posted on by farlane

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, photo courtesy North American International Auto Show

It’s a measure of how far the auto industry has fallen that I’ve barely heard a peep about the 2010 North American International Auto Show. What was once (still is?) the biggest event in Michigan opens to the public today through January 24th. We’ll hopefully have something on Absolute Michigan next week, but until then, check out the Freep and Detroit News coverage, Jalopnik’s Detroit Auto show page and the NAIAS slideshow in the Absolute Michigan pool, which should be updated as pool photographers attend the show!

Here’s a page on the gull-winged Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. No word as to whether it’s flux capacitor ready…

2009 Detroit Auto Show – January 17-25

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

MotorShowNetwork-NAIAS-2009-chrysler-jeep-patriotI0002

MotorShowNetwork-NAIAS-2009-chrysler-jeep-patriotI0002, photo by TechShowNetwork.

The 2009 North American International Auto Show takes place January 17-25, 2009 at Cobo Center in Detroit. You can get all kinds of stories about the Detroit Auto Show at Absolute Michigan. One of my favorite stories we’ve posted about it is this great column by Jack Lessenberry. Check it (and the show) out if you can!

This photo is part of a great 300+ picture slideshow from the media preview of the and is courtesy MotorShowNetwork.com and copyright Jochen Siegle/MOtorShowNetwork and shows Chrysler unveiling their ENVI electric-drive vehicle the Jeep Patriot EV at the media preview.

Speaking of slideshows, here’s the auto-magically generated 2009 NAIAS slideshow from Flickr!

Go Speed Racer … to the 2008 Detroit Auto Show

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Speed Racer by burnlab

There’s all kinds of celebrity guests at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, including the Mach 5 race car from the forthcoming Speed Racer movie (May 2008). The movie is by Larry and Andy Wachowski (The Matrix) and I have to say that the trailer looks frighteningly fun.

This photo is part of a big set of photos from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show that includes a lot of juicy detail shots concept designs and some interesting vehicles like the Li Shi Guang Ming.

If you want to see the car, go to the NAIAS this weekend. Here’s a bunch of stuff on the 2008 Detroit Auto Show from Absolute Michigan.

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